Children

The controversy blooming on certain sites about a video called "Virgilicious" is nothing if not illustrative of the thought-processes of children.

As a parent, I noted that children tend to confuse communication with capitulation. In other words, if you don't agree with them, and support their ideas, children believe that you could not possibly have heard them. They grow louder and more shrill as any adult -- especially one in authority -- maintains any position but open-hearted acceptance and enthusiastic support for the plans and opinions of the immature. Sadly, congressional politicians emulate this behavior, but that is another blog.

The video controversy demonstrates this characteristic of the immature. The supporters of the video refuse to hear what the critics of it are saying - and while endorsing the free expression of the makers of the video, they totally dismiss the rights and the thoughts of those who might not see things in the same way.

The argument is that this is a multi-layered commentary on society, and possibly the church. Because it is presumably an honest expression of opinion, so the argument goes, it should be not just tolerated but accepted. That line line of reasoning, however, is ignored by the defenders of the video, since those who don't appreciate the video also have an honest opinion, which should therefore not just be tolerated (which it is not) but accepted. It also goes to reason that there is no opinion which ought not be accepted, no presentation which ought to be critiqued, let alone rejected, on the basis that it is obnoxious, offensive, immoral or abhorrent to anyone.

When children rule, there are no standards except their own highly volatile and temporary standards. This condition is best described with the proverb, "the inmates are running the asylum".